Gonzaga provides details for 2025 women's basketball FanFest

Coach Lisa Fortier's new-look team will debut in front of fans on Oct. 11

Gonzaga mascot Spike entertains fans during a game at the McCarthey Athletic Center. | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

It's a new era for coach Lisa Fortier and the Gonzaga women's basketball program.

After losing four seniors from last year's team, including the program's all-time leading scorer and rebounder in Yvonne Ejim, Fortier went to work rebuilding Gonzaga's roster via the transfer portal and high school recruiting.

All told, the Zags added seven new players to the roster, including four transfers and three freshmen, who will join the team's six returners on a Gonzaga squad poised to compete for a final WCC championship before moving to the Pac-12 for the 2026-27 season.

Fans will get a first look at this new roster on Saturday, Oct. 11, when Gonzaga hosts FanFest, an annual event that includes player and coaching staff introductions and contests on the court, similar to what the men's team does with Kraziness in the Kennel, which will happen one week prior on Oct. 4.

FanFest will begin at 3:00 PM on Oct. 11, with doors opening one hour prior. Unlike Kraziness, FanFest does not require tickets in order to attend the event.

The big storyline for Gonzaga this season will be replacing Ejim's elite scoring production on the block, as well as the losses of seniors Esther Little, Maud Huijbens, and Tayla Dalton and transfer departures Claire O'Connor and Bree Salenbien.

Mark those calendars! 🗓️

FanFest is 𝘽𝘼𝘾𝙆! The event is open and free to the public with doors opening at 2 p.m. pic.twitter.com/QUeg4M7B9m

— Gonzaga Women's Basketball (@ZagWBB) September 25, 2025

Fortier will rely on a quartet of West Coast transfers to fill the gaps, including Weber State forward Taylor Smith, Cal Poly forward Sierra Lichtie, and guards Zee Aokuso and Teryn Gardner from Saint Mary's and Boise State, respectively.

Lichtie and Smith were both double-digit scorers at their previous stops, and both project to fill valuable roles in the frontcourt for Gonzaga. Meanwhile, Aokuso stays in the WCC after a decorated career with the Gaels, which included winning WCC Freshman of the Year in 2024 after averaging 12.1 points and 2.9 assists in 31 games.

Gardner is a Spokane native who shot 35.6% from three last year in a reserve role with the Broncos, and will now compete for minutes in Gonzaga's crowded backcourt.

FanFest will also give fans a chance to see highly regarded international star Lauren Whittaker, who has been with the team for over a year but has yet to step foot on the floor. At 6'3 and with extensive international experience, the New Zealand native might be the biggest story for Gonzaga this upcoming season.

Lastly, FanFest is the first look at Gonzaga's trio of incoming freshmen — forward Jaiden Haile, guard Paige Lofing, and guard Julia Wilson — who will debut in front of the home crowd on Oct. 11.

Gonzaga will play an exhibition game against Carroll College on Nov. 2 before beginning the season on the road against North Dakota State on Nov. 7 and Toledo on Nov. 9. The team's first home game of the year will come on Thursday, Nov. 13, against future Pac-12 opponent Colorado State.